Examine Sheriff's presentation of Stanhope in Act One in Journey's End.

In Act One of Sheriff’s ‘Journey’s End’ we see Captain Stanhope presented as a highly respected individual by all members of the rank, who has been affected immensely psychologically by the war. We see Stanhope being respected throughout Act One, which can be seen in the beginning of the play where we see Osborne reacting in a defensive and protective way of Stanhope, saying that “He’s a long way the best company commander we’ve got” to Hardy on page 4 where we learn of Stanhope’s excessive drinking which makes the audience unsure of Stanhope as a character as Sheriff introduces us to this problem before we have met him, which instantly gives us a poor first impression of Stanhope. Sheriff then builds Stanhope’s character and the audience begin to realise that the effect of war has taken its toll on Stanhope, who we learn is a hardworking, young commander who is struggling with the pressures of the war and uses whiskey to help him get through. It is evident that Stanhope is good at commanding the company, as Osborne states “You’ve done longer than any man in the battalion. It’s time you went away for a rest. It’s due to you” on page 27, depicting that Stanhope has worked extremely hard in the last three years and should be proud with his achievements instead of being ashamed of himself because of what he has turned into. Osborne is a trustworthy character who Stanhope relies on and is a true friend.

We also see Stanhope respected by Raleigh, a young boy who knew Stanhope personally before the war. Stanhope was Raleigh’s inspiration to join the army, saying that he was “frightfully keen to get into Dennis’s regiment” to Osborne on page 12. He also describes his friend as “splendid” and describes them as “terrific pals.” Stanhope had such an effect on Raleigh when they were at school together, and Stanhope even admits that he is Raleigh’s “hero” to Osborne on page 26. We also see in this scene that...

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

...During the time Raleigh's was at school, Stanhope had been his hero throughout. Stanhope had earned the Military Cross; this is a symbol of bravery, one which does not go unnoticed. Stanhope also had three years of experience in the war, one year of which was as a company commander. He has a large reputation with his officers and men, and Raleigh hears many good comments about Stanhope being the best company commander in the battalion. Raleigh worshiped Stanhope as a hero at school that he had indulged in at school. It was a natural development that the brilliant rugby captain and house prefect should become a war hero. Osborne knew that Raleigh still saw Stanhope as a hero even though Stanhope himself could not believe or recognise it.
After Raleigh's arrival, Stanhope reacts twice in actone to different things, but Raleigh seems to go on unknowing, oblivious to Stanhope’s change in attitude from school, showing that Raleigh admires Stanhope even more. Stanhope suspects that his dependency on the alcohol to keep him going will be reported Raleigh's letter home makes him angry. This is only Stanhope's view, however, Osborne tells him: 'You imagine things'. Stanhope is the corrected moments later when Raleigh's letter is read out: 'I'm awfully proud to think he's...

...you think makes a good performance?
Communicate with the audience, be in time with your band members, communicate with you band members
Where do you think the performance should be held?
[ x ] Outside [ ] Inside
What is your favourite genre of music?
Rock, pop, metal rock, blues and RNB
What day of the week do you think that the show should be held?
[ ] Monday – Friday [ x ] Weekend
What time do you think the performance should start?
[ ] 12:00 – 15:00 [ x ] 15:00 – 18:00 [ ] 18:00 – 20:00
How long do you think the performance should be?
[ x ] 30 Mins – 1 Hour [ ] 1 Hour – 1 Hour 30 Mins [ ] 1 Hour 30 Mins – 2 Hours [ ] 2 Hours +
How many acts / performers do you think should perform?
[ ] 1 – 5 [ ] 5 – 10 [ x ] 10 – 15 [ ] 15 +
What type of performer would you like to see?
[ ] Soloists [ x ] Groups [ ] Both
How would you like the seating during the show?
[ ] Sitting on Round Tables in Groups [ x ] Sitting in Rows
Would you like there to be an interval within the show? If so, how long into the show would you like it?
Yes, after 15 - 20 minutes
How long would you like the interval to be?
5 - 10 minutes
What type of refreshments would you like during the show and interval?
Bottle water and soft drinks
Would you want food during the interval and...

...of the relationship of Raleigh and Stanhope change and develop throughout Journey’sEnd?
Throughout journey’send, Stanhope and Raleigh’s relationship changes dramatically. The young men were good friends before the war, although it is not obvious when Raleigh arrives at the front. It becomes obvious as the play goes on that the relationship between Raleigh and Stanhope is tense, especially with Stanhope’s hostile attitude towards Raleigh. The young men’s relationship takes an unexpected turn when Raleigh is sent on the raid and Stanhope becomes very protective and brotherly towards him, like when they were younger.
Before the war, Raleigh and Stanhope were very close. They ‘‘were at school together’’ (act 1 scene 1 page 11) when Osborne suggests to Raleigh that Stanhope might not remember since Stanhope left school three years before, Raleigh’s reply shows that they were quite close. ‘‘Oh, I think he’ll remember me. You see, it wasn’t only that we were just at school together, our fathers were friends, and Dennis used to come and stay with us in the holidays. Of course, at school I didn’t see much of him, but in the holidays we were terrific pals.’’ (Act1, scene1). ‘‘Oh, I think he’ll remember me’’ shows that Raleigh is quite confident that he was important to...

...horrifying but the scariest part was most probably the fact it would have scared the lives of many soldiers. The company commander, Stanhope, is a leader from an English school who had played cricket and 'rugger' brilliantly and is now a great inspiration to his men at the front. Stanhope's drinking clearly dramatizes the stresses of war but he is hailed by his men as one of the best Company Captains in the army. After three years on the front line he is left nervous and exhausted. “Journeys End”, written by the playwright R.C.Sheriff delivers the horror of war across to the audience by using many different techniques such as tension, emotions and also the horrors of murderous warfare. The main thing that makes this play work is the spirit of humour. Even with all the doom and gloom of the trenches, the officers Stanhope and Osborne and the rest of the company still manage to make each other light hearted which in the real war would of lifted great spirits amongst themselves.
The new officer that joins the company was a young hopeful called Raleigh who did not know much about the war along with its troubles and horror.
Out of the company Stanhope was the least relaxed by far from any of the others and the drink problem he had as this led to anger. You can tell that he is stricken with a drinking problem when Sheriff uses bold statements. So when Stanhope says;
“Damn the soup! Bring...

...Examine the presentation of Iago in actsone and two.
Sophie
Shakespeare has created the character of Iago as the villain of the play. He drives the plot as he schemes and manipulated other characters. He fascinates and terrifies the audience with his revengeful plotting which he has no real motivation for.
In Iago’s first big speech he is already moaning about not being promoted giving of a negative feel to his character and declaring his hatred for Othello. Within his first ten lines of the play he tells the audience that this man who did not promote him loves his own pride and purposes. This highlights Iago’s unnecessary jealousy and resentment. After insulting this man he then moves onto Cassio, the man who was promoted instead of him. His bitterness is shown when he calls him a great arithmetician, and A fellow almost damned in a fair wife. So far Iago has not said a nice word about anyone but scornfully describes him as having no experience. In the first act his character is used to build suspense for the introduction to these two characters as from his descriptions the audience have already formed an opinion of them both. Iago’s big speeches are written in pros rather than verse because of his plotting. He explains to Roderigo, I follow him to serve my turn upon him which shows him to be very without good reason.
We can also see from the first scene, Iago’s ability to manipulate others....

...Sherriff presents the main character of Stanhope in Journey’sEnd with Faulks’ presentation of Stephen in Birdsong
Both “Journey’sEnd” by R.C. Sherriff and “Birdsong” by Sebastian Faulks portray their main characters of Stanhope and Stephen in several different ways. These include their ability as a leader, the way that they are introduced, how they are affected by the war and their troubled relationships with women. The contrast between the different forms of literature and the time periods that they were both written in could also affect the overall presentation of the characters, as Sherriff is relying on his own memories and Faulks is relying on accounts. This could alter how the characters are perceived by the reader.
Before being introduced, Stanhope builds up a big reputation with the audience. This is because many of the characters talk about him before he arrives. Hardy begins to criticise Stanhope at the beginning of the play, but Osborne defends him by saying that “He’s a long way the best company commander we’ve got.” This seems to instantly build up Stanhope’s reputation as an excellent commander and officer, and shows how he commands the men’s respect without even being in the room. Sherriff could have written him like this to show how somebody can just command instant respect, even if they are not there. Osborne seems...

...How does Journey'sEnd show the effects of war on the
men involved?
Journey'sEnd is a play about British soldiers in World War One, and the effects the war has on them, both physically and mentally. The play explores many aspects of war life, including friendship, alcoholism, class boundaries and the lifestyle of the men in the trenches. This essay explores how the play shows the effects of war on those involved, looking at use of dialogue, lighting, props and other key dramatic devices. The essay will mainly focus on Act 3, Scene 2 of the play, but relevant quotes from other scenes in Journey'sEnd will also be used to help illustrate points.
Stanhope, the Commander of the company, is a prime example of how the war effected many intelligent, able young men. The audience knows Stanhope is a good officer and is well respected from earlier dialogue in the play. For example, in Act 1 Scene 1, Osborne says, "He's a long way the best company commander we've got", and Hardy agrees.
Stanhope is also a humorous man, and can get on very well with his fellow officers. For example, at the beginning of Act 3 Scene 2, he has all the men in stitches, relating tales of mischief with women.
However, he appears to only be in a good mood when he has been drinking, which he does a lot. We know this because...

...Journey’sEnd: The Horror of War
RC Sheriff uses many ways to emphasize just how horrible life at the front, through characters’ behaviour, sounds shown in the performance directions, general themes explored throughout the play, etc. The following essay will describe mainly how the character’s behaviour is affected by the war, and will begin by explaining this, and will also describe how RC Sheriff uses stage directions to highlight these points, as well as to dramatize the play a little. Quotes will be set out as follows: “quote” (character, page number).
The character who seems to be the most affected by the war, is clearly Stanhope, who drinks to try and rid himself of the fear he feels inside. For this reason, he is considered, by some, to be a drunkard, and a “freak show exhibit, who gets payed a bottle of whisky simply to satisfy the morbid curiosity of people to be seen drinking it” (Osborne, pg. 5). This is not only showing how the war affects Stanhope, but is also one of the main story lines of the play. His rather serious drinking problem can be seen to affect his overall behaviour in the play, especially towards those characters more inferior in military standing.When under the influence of alcohol, Stanhope’s humanity is brought to light, making Mason, in particular, very much afraid of him, as well as showing that he can, occasionally, be humorous:
For example, his treatment of...